1950 - 1959

Courtesy: Tony Phillips on behalf of the Queensland Government

1951

Pearl Duncan

Pearl Duncan has dedicated her life to increasing Aboriginal participation in education. In 1951, Pearl was the country's first tertiary-trained Indigenous teacher and her outstanding contribution to education, Indigenous issues, and academic research across 55 years is unparalleled. In 1977, Pearl was appointed to the National Aboriginal Education Committee in recognition of her involvement with Aboriginal communities. Pearl has made significant contributions to research in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, and has represented her community at the highest government levels. In 2001, Pearl was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal and, in 2004, she was named Senior Australian of the Year for Queensland. Pearl also received a Queensland Greats Award in 2008.

Courtesy: Private collection

1951

Dr Florence Eleanor Schonell (1902 - 1962)

Eleanor Schonell was internationally respected for her work as an educational psychologist focusing on children with disabilities, particularly cerebral palsy. From 1951, Eleanor took an active interest in the Queensland Spastic Children's Welfare League and was named an honorary psychologist in 1958. She published several books and papers with a particular emphasis on ensuring that children with disabilities were accepted as part of the community rather than being institutionalised.

Eleanor was married to Sir Fred Schonell, educationist and University of Queensland (UQ) Vice-Chancellor from 1960 to 1969. In recognition of the Schonells’ commitment to those with disabilities, UQ established the ‘Schonell Special Education Research Centre’ which examines the diverse needs of individuals with disabilities.

In 2006, UQ unveiled the ‘Eleanor Schonell Bridge’, honoring Eleanor’s contribution to the university and to the people of Queensland. The bridge is Australia’s first pedestrian, cycle and bus bridge, connecting the university to Brisbane’s southern suburbs.

Copyright Newspix / Paul Riley

1952

Paula Stafford (1920 - )

Paula Stafford is undoubtedly Australia’s best known bikini designer. Her career in fashion began in 1936 when, at just 16, she cut her own one-piece swimsuit in half. Thereafter, she undertook a dress design course at the Emily McPherson School of Domestic Economy in Melbourne. She met her husband, Beverly, in Toowoomba where she served as an army nurse during the war years and, in 1944, the couple moved to the Gold Coast. By 1952, Paula had graduated from making bikinis for her friends and family and had opened a thriving shop beside her house. However, not everyone was impressed – particularly the Surfers Paradise beach inspectors. As the controversy grew about the briefness of some of her bikinis, so did Paula’s popularity. She was soon able to open two clothing factories, supplying bikinis as well as a large range of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing items to more than 400 Australian stores. Paula currently resides on the Gold Coast.

Royal Red Cross, Matron C. Sorensen, Australian Army Nursing Service. Courtesy: Australian War Memorial (REL22527)

1952

Christense Sorensen MBE (1885 - 1958)

Christense Sorensen was a hospital matron and army nurse appointed to the Australian Army Nursing Service in World War One. She was deployed to Egypt, Gallipoli, India and the United Kingdom before returning to Queensland in 1921. In 1922, she became Matron at the Brisbane Children’s Hospital and “…was loved and respected for her dedication and compassion, yet feared by student nurses for her strictness”. After 41 years of devoted nursing service to Queensland, Christense was awarded a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1952. She was also awarded a Royal Red Cross Medal by the Australian Army Nursing Service.

Source: Janice McCarthy, ‘Sorensen, Christense (1885 - 1958)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, 1990, accessed 4 December 2008, <http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120020b.htm>.

Copyright: The Courier-Mail

1954

Ruth Don (1902 - 2003)

Run Don was born into a family of teachers and, in 1925, she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Queensland. In 1934, Ruth secured a teaching position at the State Commercial High School on George Street in Brisbane and later became the first Senior Mistress of a Queensland high school in 1954. Ruth went on to become the first female Principal of the Domestic Science High School and of Brisbane’s Office Training College. Throughout her 40-year teaching career, Ruth was disappointed to encounter so many inequalities penalising female teachers. Her experiences in varied locations provided her with great insights for arguing for better working conditions for women. She was an instrumental player in advocating equal pay for women in the teaching field. Ruth was actively involved in the Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) and, in 1951, she became its first female president. In 1962, Ruth represented the QTU on the Equal Pay Committee, led by the State Service Union. It wasn’t until 1967 that the Arbitration Commission accepted evidence that female teachers should be paid the same rate as male teachers. Ruth retired in 1968 and, just one year later, equal pay for all teachers was initiated by the Queensland Education Department.

Source: Grant, H 2005, Great Queensland Women, State of Queensland (Office for Women), Brisbane.

Courtesy: National Library of Australia (nla.pic-an21281745-1)

1954

Elizabeth (Pat) Nesta Marks AO (1918 – 2002)

Regarded as one of Australia’s leading entomologists and malaria experts, Pat Marks’s scientific curiosity was fostered at an early age, growing up in Brisbane and Toowoomba. Originally interested in becoming a veterinarian, Pat studied zoology at the University of Queensland and completed a Master of Science degree in 1940, focusing her studies on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. From 1943 to 1973, Pat worked for the Queensland Government’s Mosquito Control Committee. During this time, she travelled throughout Queensland from Cape York to Townsville to the Torres Strait Islands. In 1954, while working on the Low Isles off the Far North Queensland coast, Pat discovered a tiny marine insect on the reef near Heron Island, which was subsequently named Corallocoris marksae in her honour. By the time of her retirement in 1983, Pat had discovered 38 new mosquito species and authored more than 110 scientific papers. In 1990, she was appointed a Commander Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her services to science, particularly the field entomology.

Norma Fleming (second from left). Courtesy: The Herald & Weekly Times / Bruce Howard

1956

Norma Fleming (1934 - )

In 1956, Norma became the first Queenslander to win an Olympic gold medal as a member of the triumphant 4 x 100m women’s relay team at the Melbourne Olympic Games. The team, which also included Betty Cuthbert, Fleur Mellor and Shirley Strickland, also broke the world record twice in a week. Norma also subsequently competed in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

Copyright: The Courier-Mail

1956

Daphne Mayo MBE (1895 – 1982)

Lilian Daphne Mayo left Queensland in 1919 to undertake specialist sculpture training in England. She returned to Brisbane in 1925 and created a range of works including the 14 Stations of the Cross in All Saints Church on Ann Street and the Church of the Holy Spirit in New Farm. In 1927, she was commissioned to sculpt the Brisbane City Hall tympanum (the triangular decorative wall surface above the main entrance). For 14 months, Daphne worked on a scaffold platform 18 metres above the ground, chiselling the 16.5 metre wide, 2.7 metre high sculpture from Helidon sandstone. In 1956, Daphne was awarded the Member of the British Empire (MBE) for her contribution to art.

Source: Grant, H 2005, Great Queensland Women, State of Queensland (Office for Women), Brisbane.

Courtesy: National Association for Women in Construction

1957

Beverley Nutley

Following in the footsteps of her father, Beverly Nutley became Queensland’s first apprentice “chippie” in 1957. “I spent 10 years on the tools, digging post holes and putting roofs on and can proudly say I built five houses, four drive-in theatres and helped with many more home renovations,” Ms Nutley said. “Construction offers lots of hidden rewards for women, and more girls need to be encouraged into trades and other fields of construction”.

Source: National Association of Women in Construction, Queensland construction girls get the call to the spotlight, media release, 17 September 2008, viewed 4 December 2008, <http://www.nawic.com.au/Content/Attachment/call-for-nominations_170908.pdf (PDF 92 KB)>.

Courtesy: Private collection

1958

Celia Smith (1912 - 1980)

Aboriginal rights activist Celia Smith’s door was always open to those in need. Celia was one of the unsung heroes of the early Aboriginal rights movement, helping hundreds of people obtain their social welfare rights and taking their cases to politicians and bureaucrats. Widely respected in the Aboriginal community, ‘Auntie’ Celia never sought recognition or reward. She became an early member of the Queensland Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (QCAATSI), joining in 1958 and later undertaking Kath Walker’s position as Secretary. Celia played a leading role in a number of national campaigns, particularly for the 1967 referendum and the campaign for land rights.

Source: Grant, H 2005, Great Queensland Women, State of Queensland (Office for Women), Brisbane.

Courtesy: Private collection

1958

Ellie Gaffney (1932 - 2008)

Ellie Gaffney was born on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait and commenced her education at the local state school. However, after only three years, her education was ceased when her family was evacuated for safety reasons during World War Two. Ellie spent the ensuing years on the Australian mainland and did not return to Thursday Island until after the war. In 1954, Ellie was accepted into the Brisbane Mater Hospital preliminary intake but, due to monsoonal rains, she missed the commencement of the nursing course. After securing a nurse's aide job at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, Ellie completed a correspondence course, allowing her to start her general training at the Royal Brisbane in April 1954. After completing obstetric training at the Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital, Ellie worked throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory where she built an excellent reputation. Eventually, she returned to Thursday Island to work as the Nursing Sister at the hospital, becoming the first Indigenous nursing sister on Thursday Island in 1958. However, Ellie resigned in protest from this position after a racial discrimination incident. Despite her request for reinstatement, Ellie was denied by the hospital. In an effort to secure the Matron's position, Ellie and her family returned to Thursday Island in 1980 but, upon arrival, were informed that a white male had been employed as the nursing administrator. After this disillusioning and disappointing experience, Ellie worked in Aboriginal hostels for several years and, following this, became involved in media delivery to the people of Torres Strait.

Source: Gaffney, E 1989, Somebody Now: The Autobiography of Ellie Gaffney, a Woman of Torres Strait, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.

Courtesy: University of Newcastle Cultural Collections (2056543656)

1959

Dorothy Hill (1907 – 1997)

Born in Brisbane, geologist and palaeontologist Dorothy Hill studied at the University of Queensland (UQ) and then at the University of Cambridge in England. In 1937, she returned to UQ as a research fellow before being appointed as a research professor of geology in 1959, making her Australia’s first female professor. Dorothy specialised in the specific area of fossil corals and served as Secretary of the Great Barrier Reef Committee for nine years. Her geological reef research led to significant discoveries while she helped to establish the Heron Island Marine Biological Station. Dorothy was also the first woman elected President of the Australian Academy of Science in 1970.